Dinner
Chicken Cacciatore
“Each Italian family seems to have its own variation on this classic dish,” says Stanley Tucci, actor, cookbook author and host of the series Searching for Italy. This version hails from his mother’s side of the family, and it includes tomatoes—an ingredient that cooks on his father’s side of the family typically omitted from their chicken cacciatore.
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch wide strips
- ½ pound mushrooms, cut into ¼ -inch-thick slices
- One 3-pound free-range chicken, cut into serving-size pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 ½ cups coarsely chopped onions (about 2 medium-size onions)
- 1 cup canned whole plum tomatoes or your own favorite marinara sauce
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Preparation Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Stir the mushrooms into the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and brown lightly on both sides, about 15 minutes in all. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter and set aside. Pour the wine into the pan stir to incorporate any cooking juices. Add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand or the back of a slotted spoon as you add them to the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook to blend in the flavor of these ingredients, about 10 minutes. The cacciatore may be set aside at this point for several hours before reheating and serving with bread to dip into the sauce.
Tips
Wine Pairing: Medium white and light red
